Champion of Oz
by StarRoseColors
Summary: When the Nomes attack Emerald City, a now nineteen year old Dorothy returns to Oz, determined on rescuing the captured Scarecrow and Emerald City.
1. The Rainbow

Thunder rumbled as the storm drew close to the Emerald City.

Inside the main palace, the Scarecrow sat on the steps to the throne. He often looked up from the papers in his hand to the new stained glass window. The celebration of it had been where it had begun. He tore his eyes away from the window when the doors opened, revealing the familiar figures of the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. He smiled and stood, leaving the papers.

"Thank you both for coming- Woah!"

Tin had caught him up in an excited hug. "Of course Scarecrow! With the flying monkeys acting aggressive, the Emerald City needs all we can give." He glanced back to share nods with Lion. Then he noticed the window. "So that's the famous window."

"You know what we should probably go contact Dorothy sound good great!" The Scarecrow speed walked to a set of doors and opened them, revealing a large hallway. The Lion shot the Tin Man a smug look before they followed. The trio walked down the hallway, the emerald lit by torches encased by glass. This was to prevent from the straw filled, flammable ruler from being set on fire. "Glinda told me that she suspects that the Nomes are behind this- Old King Nome supplied the emeralds to build the city but his son the Nome King disagreed with him about it."

"What kept him from attacking?"

"They were frightened of the Wizard. It takes a bit for news to travel underground, that's why he's attacking now."

"Well, you can count on us Straw!"

Tin rolled his eyes. "So, you can count now?"

"Hey!"

The Scarecrow turned and sighed as the two started arguing. Pushing up the sleeves of his coat, he pulled them apart. "Look, calm down. We need to work together." Sharing sheepish glances, they gave sheepish apologies. "Sorry. I'm a bit on edge." They continued on their way, entering a large room. It was empty of decoration, except for four chairs surrounding a table and a huge machine. It was the latter that he approached, starting flipping switches and pressing buttons as the other two watched.

"Was that Kansas button always there?" The Tin Man asked finally.

"She was twelve when we first met, why would I have a crush on a twelve year old?!" he said, flipping one switch a little too hard. His cheeks had emptied of straw to imitate blushing. "That would be weird!"

"Well, children grow up."

Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, had entered. The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion both bowed to her. The Scarecrow simply nodded his head, not mentioning her comment. "I'm about to send the rainbow out." he said, flipping another switch. "You'll send Tin and Lion to where the rainbow will land in Oz and pick up Dorothy, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, I will."

It was at that moment that the castle started to rumble. "That would be the Nomes." Scarecrow said, before frantically finishing his job.

Then he slammed on the Kansas button.

* * *

 _"Dorothy!"_

 _"Dorothy, hang on!"_

 _"We're coming!"_

 _"Please hurry!" the child in the blue and white sweater sobbed, glancing back at the hourglass. The red sand was slipping through fast. There wasn't much left. "I'm almost out of time..." She drifted off as the last grain of sand slipped through._

 _Only one voice yelled at her now. "Dorothy! Dorothy, talk to us! What's going on?!" Her hand slipped away from the door as he continued to yell. "Please tell me!"_

 _"I'm sorry Scarecrow..._ But we're out of time."

Dorothy gasped as she awoke. The nineteen year old sat up, running a finger through her chestnut curls with a sigh. Toto looked up from his dog bed with a whine. "'M fine." she said, stretching as she got up.

Instead of the farm, Dorothy now lived in a small apartment just outside Topeka, where she went to art school. Dorothy Gale had become famous at twelve for disappearing for a week and returning out of nowhere, safe and sound with her dog. Her fame only grew when she began an interest in creating graphic novels. Her first one, titled _Oz_ , had become a great success. The Gale farm had become stable enough with the money for her to continue making fantasy graphic novels and go to college to learn illustration.

But Dorothy was still sad.

She could remember her aunt and uncle arguing about her, about whether it was what happened to her or usual teenage hormones. She had brightened up when Auntie Em had made her a little scarecrow doll for her thirteenth birthday. It now sat on her bed. On her sixteenth birthday, she had three streaks of her hair permanently dyed- one yellow, one silver, and one blue. Maybe she should've had a green streak, but those stood for her companions.

She missed them.

Brave when it counted Lion, kind heart Tin Man, and smart and protective Scarecrow, she missed them all. Dorothy knew she should be happy that she had gotten home, but her heart had been cleaved in two. One half was here, in her home, while the other was over the rainbow. She liked to think that it was being held in the Emerald City.

She went through her usual day without classes routine, grabbing her traditional blue and white sweater and blue scarf. Pairing it with jean shorts and blue tights, Dorothy picked up Toto's green leash. "Let's go on a walk." she announced. Her little black dog yipped happily, making her giggle.

The two headed out, walking through the streets until they were out of Topeka.

Finally, they had reached the meadow Dorothy had found when she had moved here. Toto was freed from his leash and he ran around while his mistress sat down. Dorothy sighed, combing her fingers through her hair. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

A rainbow.

"Toto, look! A rainbow." she said, standing to watch it. A frown appeared across her face as a thought occurred to her. "Wait. There hasn't been any rain." Squinting, she blinked in realization that, why yes, the rainbow was moving closer. Human and dog shared glances before she spoke.

"Run."

Hauling Toto up and dropping the leash, Dorothy ran. The rainbow followed, seeming determined to follow them. She kept on running until she tripped and stumbled down a hill. Keeping a tight grip on her dog, she scrunched close her eyes as the rainbow fell onto them and engulfed them.

Then the rainbow was gone.

And so was Dorothy.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, Dorothy is modernized in this. I was curious to see what she would look like.**

 **This is inspired by the books and several movies, including the 1930s movie with Judy Garland, Legends of Oz, and Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz. For those who are curious, yes, Scarecrow does have a crush on Dorothy. He's trying to force himself to ignore it because the last time he saw her, Dorothy was _twelve_.**

 **This is also one of the reasons why Scarecrow doesn't have much respect for Glinda.**


	2. Arriving in Oz

Dorothy fell.

Clenching Toto, she fell, scarf fluttering out and tears ripping from her eyes. Whenever she managed to crack an eye open, it was to see a blur of rainbow colors. She screwed her eyes shut, burying her face in Toto's fur. Finally, the air seemed to change. Her eyes stayed firmly shut.

Then she hit the ground.

"Are we dead?" she managed to squeak out. Hands pulled her up.

"No, you're not!" a familiar voice said.

Dorothy's eyes opened to see a bright landscape. A lion and a tin man stood in front of her with wide grins. She glanced between them, eyes widening. It couldn't be. "Tin Man...Lion?" They both nodded. Setting Toto down on the ground, the girl stared at them. Then she launched herself at them, laughing excitedly even as tears of joy ran down her cheeks.

"Dorothy Gale." Tin said when she pulled away. "Why, the last time I saw you, you were barely to my shoulder. And now look at you! A lovely young woman." He frowned as he noticed her scarf. "So that's where Scarecrow's scarf went!"

She laughed sheepishly, tugged at the fading blue fabric wrapped around her neck. It had become an essential part of her outfit. "Yeah, I stole it. I wanted something to remember this place by. The silver slippers fell off." She looked around for her beloved third companion. "Where is Scarecrow? What's going on? That rainbow really scared me."

"Oh! That must've been frightening- scooped up in a rainbow, trapped in bright colors...horrifying!" The Tin Man burst into tears, the other three sharing looks. Dorothy let out a yelp as he hugged her, sobbing loudly into her shoulder.

"He's been all over the place ever since he got his heart." Lion explained. "He once spent three hours telling 'Crow about how he must be a horrible person since he stepped on an ant."

"Where is Scarecrow?"

Tin pulled away from her. He and Lion shared looks. The latter stepped forward first. "It all started a month or two ago. Scarecrow was dedicating a stained glass window to you." He paused when he noticed a faint pink develop over her cheeks, traveling down her neck to disappear into her collar. A smirk formed. "Really pretty thing. You should've seen it. He really misses you-"

" _Lion_." Tin interrupted.

"Anyway, the ceremony got attacked by flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?!"

"Yeah!" Tin took over. "Random attacks over the next few weeks, as well as the ground randomly shaking. The Nomes- little underground goblins, in case you were wondering- were attacking." He continued to explain the events up to Scarecrow pushing the Kansas button. "A group of Nomes and flying monkeys got inside and we climbed out the window. Then we got captured."

* * *

 _The group furiously struggled as they w ere flown down to the main courtyard of the palace. Glinda prepared to wave her wand but it was snatched by a monkey. Said monkey flew to a massive crack in the ground and dropped the wand. A hand caught it- a massive Nome. He smirked at them all. "Hello Emerald City!"_

 _"Nome King!" the blonde witch yelled. "Leave immediately!"_

 _"I'm afraid not, dear Glinda!" He waved the wand and a pink bubble formed around her, trapped. He waved it again, and the Scarecrow was tied up with sturdy rope. He kept a stoic face as he was flown to be face to face with the Nome King. The enemy laughed meacingly. "So, this is the clever Scarecrow!"_

 _"What do you want?"_

 _"It's not what I want. It's what I get."_

* * *

"Glinda used the last of her power to help us escape and we hurried to meet up with you." Tin explained. "They're both still prisoners in Emerald City. The only reason we think that Scarecrow hasn't been gotten rid of is for a trap for you."

"Me? Why would he want me? I told you, the silver slippers fell off my feet when I was going home. Otherwise I would've visited much sooner."

"Yeah, I think Scarecrow would've liked that- Ow!"

Tin pulled his elbow away from Lion's ribs. "Well, you've also made a name for yourself here Dorothy. With you killing the Wicked Witches, you've become the Champion of Oz." At her blank look, he smiled. "Scarecrow actually gave you that title the first anniversary of you coming." She stiffened, a childhood memory of sobbing into her friend's chest coming through.

"So, what's the plan?"

* * *

 **A/N: In the book, the ruby slippers were silver. They fell off when Dorothy returned to Kansas, making the rest of Dorothy's returns to Oz different. They included a shipwreck, falling into a chasm with the Wizard, and simply walking.**


	3. Confessions and Stained Glass

_A quiet knock on the door drew Scarecrow's attention away from his book._

 _It was late in the night where people of flesh and blood would usually be asleep. He couldn't blame them after the chaos of today. The Wizard had been revealed to be a humbug and a conman. Honestly, Scarecrow had felt that the "magic potion" that he had poured over the brain pins, clockwork heart, and the courage potion to be a fake. Then the balloon had flown off, without Dorothy._

 _Poor Dorothy._

 _There was a plan for the group to visit the Good Witch of the North tomorrow to see if she could send Dorothy home. The child herself had done a remarkable job of pretending to be calm. It was only when they were out of public sight that she had started crying. They had started to comfort her, Tin Man starting to cry as well before he managed to rust his jaw shut._

 _He opened the door to reveal Dorothy._ _She was dressed in silk green pajamas, hair undone and Toto-less. Quiet distress was clear on her face. "I couldn't sleep." she admitted, looking shy. "Can I stay here with you?"_

 _"Of course!" He led her inside, the child perching on his lap as he sat down. "Why couldn't you sleep?"_

 _Dorothy sniffed, holding back tears. "I...I kept dreaming about what would've happened if you and Tin and Lion didn't show up in time. And then I saw Auntie Em and Uncle Henry crying 'cause I was gone and putting...putting up a tombstone in the family plot with my name on it." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and let out another sniff. "I...I just wanna go back to Kansas, even though I'll miss you all."_

 _"We'll miss you too." he said, hugging her tight and trying to ignore the happiness that had shot through him when the balloon had flown off without the second passenger. "You've been very brave through all this, even though you keep giving me heart attacks." She giggled, the sound as bright as sunshine. "You were very brave with the Wicked Witch too."_

 _A sob. "I didn't want to...to kill her." Dorothy said, muffled by Scarecrow's shirt._

 _"I know. I know it was an accident."_

 _She said something, muffled by his shirt. He leaned back to hear her. "What?"_

 _"I...I lied." she admitted, pulling away. Tear tracks were clear on her freckled cheeks. "I wanted to kill her." He was silent as he stared at her. "You...you were on fire and you were screaming and she was laughing and I...I heard somewhere that witches didn't like water and the bucket was right there. But I didn't mean to kill her, just put the fire out and then she started screaming too..." Dorothy burst into tears._

 _"Hey, hey! That's not your fault. It's the Wizard's- you're only twelve. Too young to go off and kill someone."_

 _"I only went through it because you and Tin and Lion wanted your stuff really bad." Dorothy admitted. "I probably would've chickened out without that."_

 _Scarecrow didn't answer- just held her tight._

Scarecrow didn't really sleep. He sometimes entered the state flesh and blood called a doze, especially when he had been working hard. Alone in his dungeon cell, he had been doing nothing but dozing. He wasn't sure why he was thinking about that particular conversation. Maybe because Dorothy was or was going to be in Oz soon- not him keeping an eye on her through a magic painting.

(And no, Lion, he did not watch her _all the time_. Just once or twice a day.)

He missed Dorothy.

And if it was clear, she had missed Oz and him too. Scarecrow couldn't help but smile at her glee when she received the creepy scarecrow doll, her pride when her picture book got published, and her happiness when she made sure the three of them had marks, colors, in her hair.

He hoped she would come soon.

* * *

"All hail! All hail! All hail! All hail the Nome King!"

All the Nomes were gathered in the main throne room, flying monkeys overhead. All watched as a large Nome with a grizzly black beard place Scarecrow's crown on his head. He smiled when the task was done, soaking in the cheering and applause. Finally, he held his hand up for silence.

"Thank you everyone!" he said, gripping Glinda's wand tight. The witch herself watched him in her bubblegum pink bubble. "Now, we are here at last! All of the emeralds that Oz has taken from us will be regained!"

"Nomes, all the emeralds were paid off! There is no reason for this attack!" Glinda protested. "It was an act of goodwill between Oz and your father!"

"Exactly! My softhearted father gave them away willy nilly! I'm taking them back!"

He waved his wand and floated to the new stained glass window to stare at it. It was very pretty. Twelve year old Dorothy held an expression of peace with her eyes closed and a small smile over her face, hands clasped. A poppy in full bloom was held in her hands. She was haloed in green, the halo surrounded by yellow- the yellow brick road, heading to Emerald City.

"And your little champion can't stop me! In fact, let's check on her."

He landed on the floor to strode over to the Wicked Witch of the West's crystal ball. An image appeared- Dorothy, Toto in her arms, walking with the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion.

"Well, what do you know! The little girl grew up!" He zoomed out to see where they were. "It looks like they're entering China Country! Hah! They'll need the permission of that vain princess to continue! Good luck with that, _Dorothy Gale_."

* * *

 **A/N: Besides the romantic subplot between Dorothy and Huck, Scarecrow's Kansas counterpart, that was ultimately cut, I think Dorothy would miss Scarecrow first because he was the _first._ He was the first of her companions she met, the first kind enough to offer a kid scared (because Glinda pointed a witch at her) because she was lost in unfamiliar territory to go with her. ****He suffers being _ripped apart,_ same in both book and movie, and being set on fire to help her get home.**

 **And that counts the most.**


	4. The China Kingdom

Dorothy stared at the landscape in surprise.

She, Toto, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion had been following the yellow brick road to try and meet up with Oz's army at the Emerald City. But the meadow had ended to be replaced by cold, hard grass. It was like china and after a moment, she realized it was china. The china landscape spread out far ahead. "Oh boy." Lion said. "The China Kingdom."

"A small patch of Oz entirely made of china. Even the people!" Tin explained. "We were hoping to not go through here."

"Why not?"

"Because the princess in charge of this dining set is a snobby, vain, stuck up b-" The animal was cut off by the other elbowing him. "What? She's not twelve anymore! Anyway, we'll need her permission to travel through here." He sighed. "Let's go around."

"We don't have the time! Scarecrow's in danger!" Dorothy said, fear leaking into her voice. It had been hard to keep up the mask of calm. "Maybe if we ask politely, she'll let us through. The least we can do is try. And if she doesn't, we just run and hopes nobody chases." She turned and started marching down to the China Kingdom. Lion and Tin watched her.

"And here I thought seven years would dull that reckless streak." the latter commented.

The former shrugged and then they followed.

* * *

The people were made of china. They looked like the little figurines Auntie Em had inherited from her grandmother that she always kept locked up. Dorothy had to resist the urge to hold them. Finally, they arrived at the largest china building- a castle. The guards straightened when they approached. "Who are you?" one called out.

"Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Toto of Kansas, the Tin Man of Winkie Country, and the Cowardly Lion." Dorothy answered. "We wish to request permission from the China Princess to continue traveling through her land."

The two exchanged looks. "Dorothy Gale, the Champion of Oz?" She nodded. The guards another look before moving aside. "Follow the hallway and you'll enter the throne room. Her Majesty will be in there." The doors creaked opened, allowing the small group entry. Dorothy glanced back as the doors closed, but continued on her way. As they walked, they passed hundreds of portraits of the same blonde girl with china pale skin and blue eyes.

Finally, they had entered the throne room.

A china doll in a china red dress was seated on a throne. She was the same girl as in the portraits, showing her vanity was a truth. Dorothy shared looks with her companions before stepping forward. "Your Highness, I am-"

"Bow."

"What?"

The China Princess let out a giggle that sounded fake- like the mean girls at Dorothy's school. "I said, bow. It's traditional to bow to a princess." She said, leaning back. They shared looks before all performed low bows. "Lower." Dorothy's body began to ache, a low, dull throb. Still, she bowed lower. "Lower." She slipped and fell on her face, sending the princess into hysterics. "Sorry. That was probably too low."

She could hear the smirk.

"Now, what is it you request of me?"

Tin helped his female friend up. She brushed herself off and continued her speech. "I- We wish to make a request to travel through your lands to get to the Emerald City. Can we-"

"It's 'may I'. Start over."

She resisted a groan. " _May_ we travel though your lands?" She ground out through gritted teeth.

The princess yawned. "And why should I let you pass?"

"Because all of Oz is being threatened by the Nome King!"

"Wrong!" The princess stood. "The Nome King only wishes to take over Emerald City. He has this belief that all the emeralds used to make it belong to him or whatever but he is only interested in that. He has no interest in us."

"You mean, besides taking over the rest of Oz?" Dorothy knelt, hoping pity would struck the vain princess's heart. "Please, your Majesty. Let us through."

The China Princess stared at her for a long moment. Hope rose up in her...

"No."

And were crushed.

"What?"

"I said no." She started to study her nails. "You do not have my permission to go through the China King- Ah!" The human girl had picked her up and now glared down at her with anger. If looks could kill, the princess would just be small shards on the ground.

"My _best_ _friend_ is a prisoner. The land I love the most is about to be torn apart because some monarch got greedy. So you are going to let us through your kingdom or I swear, I'll drop you off the nearest cliff. Capiche?"

The China Princess let out a scream. "GUARDS!"

Doors on the other side of the throne room opened, revealing a group of guards. Dorothy dropped the princess in surprise. A shatter revealed that half of her face had broken off. Lion leaned to her. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yes." She grabbed his paw and Tin's hand. "RUN!"

"THAT'S THE PLAN!?"

"I TOLD YOU THAT WAS THE PLAN!"

The group ran out the door. Tin grabbed Toto as they ran, the guards chasing them. People shrieked as they ran past with the guards in hot pursuit. Dorothy finally saw the green grass and grinned. The group increased their pace until they were over the hill. The guards stopped at the edge of the kingdom, no longer able to pursuit their prey.

The group panted as they finally stopped to rest.

"That...was probably out of line." Dorothy admitted. "But at least we're out of there. C'mon."

* * *

The Nome King let out an angry hiss as he watched the group start to walk. "Damnit. I thought that vain princess would stop them, but the girl is more determined than I gave her credit for." He tapped his chin in thought. "I could let them come. It would be a great victory to get rid of that scarecrow and the 'Champion of Oz' at the same time."

He looked up to notice the stained glass window.

A smirk appeared.

* * *

 **A/N: So twelve year old Dorothy had a bit of a reckless streak and nearly gave Scarecrow a bunch of heart attacks. The China Country was actually a place in the first book the group visited on their way to find Glinda.**


	5. Strawmeo and Nomes

The Scarecrow didn't struggle as he was hauled from his cell and frog marched to the Rainbow Maker room. He kept a mask of blankness on his face the entire way, trying to keep from panicking. He had no idea what was going on or if Dorothy and his friends were safe.

So he kept the mask up.

The Nome King was examining the machine when the scarecrow was pushed in. "Ah, there he is!" the king said with a mocking grin. "King Scarecrow the Wise, ruler of Oz." Said former king rolled his eyes as he chuckled. "Only, you aren't a king anymore, are you?" He frowned when he said nothing, just glared at him. "Anyway, I was just examining this, uh... _interesting_ machine of yours. Guess what I found?"

There was silence.

Finally, Scarecrow let out a groan. "What?"

"I found a very interesting button!"

Oh no. Oh _come on_.

The button the Nome King pointed out with Glinda's wand was labeled with one word: **KANSAS**. "You know what else? While we were digging up here, I heard a very interesting rumor about you." Slinging an arm around his shoulders, the Nome grinned. "The dear king has been pining for Oz's sweet little Champion!"

"Is everyone forgetting that she was twelve?!" The same fact that he used for his denial came out. "She was twelve!"

"Oh, don't deny it Strawmeo!" He squished his burlap cheeks. "Everyone knows that sweet little Dorothy preferred you over the rust bucket and the scaredy cat. Besides, didn't she say she'll miss you most of all?" He stopped squishing Scarecrow's cheeks to summon the crystal ball. The group's image appeared.

"Don't worry. Your beloved Juliet will be coming when my Nomes capture her."

* * *

 _Scarecrow knew this was going to happen._

 _He knew this would happen when Dorothy explained her wish_

 _Dorothy was leaving and all he wanted was for her to stay. He wished he could think of something to make her stay. She had said her goodbyes to Tin and Lion and now stood before him. Tears forming in her eyes showed how awful she felt at these goodbyes._

 _"Scarecrow..." she started, holding out her hands. He carefully took them. "I think I'm gonna miss you most of all."_

 _And with that tearing into his figurative heart, she pressed a kiss to his cheek._

 _He couldn't help himself. He hugged her tight and tried to ignore the jealousy that whispered to him to make her stay._

 _He didn't have to fake relief when the balloon left without her._

* * *

"There's the Winkie river!" Tin Man said. The group had been walking for a while now ever since their escape from China Kingdom. "It goes straight through the Emerald City. I can chop up some wood to make a raft and we'll float in under the Nome King's gnarly nose hairs!" He strode away to perform said task, leaving the others. Dorothy took in the scenery before looking up at Lion. He had an odd smirk on his face.

"What?"

"So, out of plain and simple curiosity, how do you feel about dear old Scarecrow?"

She raised a brow in confusion. "I've missed him...?" Her cheeks heated up as she looked away. The worn scarf of Scarecrow rubbed against her cheeks as she thought of him.

"You're blushing!" Lion pointed out, elbowing her. "Anyway, that's good. Because he's missed you too. Like, _really_ missed you." He was hinting at something, she was sure of it. He sighed when she gave him a blank look. "Did you learn that from Scarecrow? I'm pretty sure you learned that from Scarecrow." He slapped himself. "Okay! Back on track! Scarecrow is-"

"Lion, don't you dare!" Tin yelled.

"SCARECROW'S IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

Her eyes went wide as blood rushed to her face. "What?" Dorothy gasped out softly.

Then the ground shook. Everyone let out yelps as they were shaken. The ground cracked open. Tin and Lion were forced to grip onto trees, Toto biting onto the latter's tail. Dorothy herself fell to the ground, watching in horror as Nomes jumped from the crack. Loud laughter cycled out as some tried to grab her while others tormented the others.

Dorothy managed to kick them off.

"Dorothy, run!" Tin yelled. Four Nomes grabbed his limbs and started running with him to the river. Lion and Toto ran after them. She paled when a group of Nomes stomped their feet. The group was sent into the air. The boys fell into the crack. Dorothy was sent into the air. Two Nomes hiding in the trees grabbed her and yanked her into the canopy.

And all went silent.

Dorothy was forcefully pulled by her captors to a tunnel overlooking the attack site. Everyone watched as a paw appeared on the edge.

Lion pulled himself out of the crack. Then he helped Tin Man up and then pulled Toto off his tail. The girl sighed in relief as the group headed into the forest.

"Looks like your friends escaped." the Nome commander said. He glared at her. "But you missy won't be so lucky. Take her to the Nome King!"

Dorothy was forced into the tunnel at spearpoint. She walked a few feet before an idea to make the Scarecrow proud struck her. "Sheesh, you think rock fairies could make a tunnel that's not so cramped." she said out loud in the roomy. At the Nomes' shocked stares, she shrugged. "What? I've seen bigger rabbit holes back at the farm."

The Nomes shared looks.

She smirked internally.

To ease their wounded pride, the Nomes started making the tunnel bigger.

Distracted, they didn't see Dorothy slip down another tunnel.

* * *

 **A/N: That truth needed to come out sometime.**

 **The ploy with the cramped tunnel comes from 'Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz'. It's pretty good and has hints of Dorothy/Scarecrow. I recommend you watch it!**


	6. Strawmeo and his Juliet

A Nome guard paced in front of the doors to the Nome dungeon.

He turned to do another lap, but came face to face with one Miss Dorothy Gale. The sounds of the encounter were violent with the guard falling to the ground. She plucked the keys from his belt and quickly entered the dungeon. The young woman hurried down the hall, searching the cells. All of them were empty. Then she saw one and her heart soared.

"Scarecrow!"

The man made of straw looked up. Blue eyes brightened at the sight of her and he ran to the bars. "Dorothy!"

On instinct the two pressed their foreheads together. Dorothy pulled away first and scrambled to the door, trying every key until one slid in easily and the door opened. She entered the cell and then threw herself at her friend. He caught her but fell back, pulling them to the floor. Before he could say a word, she grabbed the collar of his green coat and pulled him into a kiss.

Simple touch had always been easy for them. On their trip to see the Wizard, twelve year old Dorothy had spent most of the time arm in arm with Scarecrow or holding his hand. He always grabbed her collar whenever she was about to do something needlessly reckless. He had held her tight as she clung to his coat when being threatened by the Wicked Witch of the West.

But this was different.

You would expect kissing burlap to be scratchy and rough and stiff, but it was surprisingly nice. An invisible fire seemed to lick down her spine and fill her to the brim, making her toes curl in her pastel blue Converse.

Scarecrow pushed her away by the shoulders so they could sit up properly. "Are you sure-"

" _Yes_."

Dorothy kissed him again, gripping him close. He was hesitant for a moment before curling a hand in her hair and gripping her waist. They stayed like that for a long moment before they pulled away, panting. They pressed their foreheads together before she pulled away. "We need to go." She said, standing and helping him to his feet. "Lion and Tin managed to escape with Toto. That guard I hit won't stay down for long." She grabbed a nearby lantern.

Gripping each other's hands, they ran out of the dungeon.

* * *

"Toto, have I ever told you about how I took down an entire herd of elephants?"

The trio walked through the forest. Lion had been spending the time talking about his many, _many_ "victories" to Toto, since Tin Man didn't believe a word. He was busy looking around, ax at the ready to defend. "Yep, I just looked them straight in the eye and- Toto?"

The little dog was gone.

The two stopped to stare at the space where the missing dog had been. "Did...did we just lose Toto?" Tin Man said. The two exchanged looks before bursting into noise. Lion was screaming in horror while Tin was sobbing about how furious Dorothy would be. There was suddenly only screaming. Lion stopped to see that Tin had disappeared as well.

"Tin? Tinny? Tin Man?"

An eerie shriek pierced the air. Lion nearly jumped a foot in the air. "I don't believe in spooks, I don't believe in spooks, I don't believe in spooks..."

He fainted.


	7. Captured

The tunnel was dark. But, accompanied by the sound of footsteps, a puddle of light appeared.

It was coming from the lantern held by Dorothy, arm in arm with Scarecrow. "This tunnel should lead straight to the mountainside next to Emerald Palace's courtyard." He said, looking around. "We'll be close to the Wizard's chambers."

"Is all his stuff still there?"

He raised a brow. "Yeah. He used the smaller secondary throne room and there was so much stuff he left we decided to leave it alone in there. I use the main throne room. Why?"

"He mentioned to me once that he collected magical artifacts. Maybe we can find something to help us."

"Good idea." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "When we get there, we can sneak on by and see." They walked a bit longer in silence before he cleared his throat. "Um, Dorothy..."

"Yeah?"

"I get the feeling we should talk about...what happened back in the cell." She blushed, the pink color disappearing into her collar. Scarecrow ignored it. "I have no idea what the other two have told you, but I don't watch you _all_ the time. Probably just a bit more than what's considered healthy."

"Lion mentioned something about you being in love with me before I got captured." Dorothy admitted quietly. "I...missed you. So much. I didn't lie when I said I would miss y. I didn't think I would ever be allowed back here so I did everything I could to make sure I didn't forget." She tugged on his scarf, wrapped around her neck. "Auntie Em even made me a scarecrow doll."

He shivered. "I saw that. Creepy little thing."

"I thought it was cute. But, I can see why you would think that's creepy." A hard question now. "When...when did you fall in love with me?"

Scarecrow shrugged, not willing to wear his armor of denial. Not to her. "I think I've always been a little, ever since we met. You freed me from that pole in the cornfield and besides the brain, I wanted to prove I was worthy of you freeing me. The first few months were hell because I had to adjust to a new position. And, not even five _seconds_ after you left, I was missing you."

"I missed you too- Is that light?"

"I think it is!" He gripped her hand and tugged her along. "Come on!"

It was.

True to Scarecrow's word, they were on the mountainside. The two clambered up the hill and peeked into the courtyard. It was empty, large cracks showing the Nomes' presence. The two climbed inside and then darted across, entering the palace and hurrying up the steps. Arriving at the silver doors that led to the chamber, Dorothy knocked. They hid as a guard came out to investigate. As he looked around, the two snuck in.

They flattened themselves into a corner as another guard went past. Finally, they reached the chamber. Slamming the door shut, the two panted before embracing.

"We made it."

"And the Nome King has no idea we're here."

When they pulled away from the hug, his eyes landed on the scarf. "Hey, I remember this." He held it, looking over the worn fabric. "My maker put it on me so more crows would be scared away. I never figured out where it went."

"Sorry for stealing it."

"It's alright, I'm glad it got a good home-"

The braziers on the sides of the throne lit up. The two jumped, Scarecrow immediately holding Dorothy close. A green image of the Nome King's head had appeared- the same illusionary trick used to give their challenge so many years ago. "Ah, our Strawmeo and Juliet, all caught in the same trap! You might notice a few, ah, changes around here!"

Nome guards appeared from the shadows, cackling with laughter. They aimed their spears at the couple. Dorothy gulped.

"Take them to the dungeon and lock them in separate cells!"

The couple gripped each other as the guards approached. Trying to keep ahold of each other, they were eventually pulled away.

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter we check up on the other three.**

 **Scarecrow didn't fully realize he was in love with Dorothy until Tin pointed it out. Like falling off a cliff.**


End file.
